Altitudinal distribution and seasonal life cycle of drosophilid flies (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in central Japan, with reference to their biogeographic features

Abstract

Altitudinal distribution and seasonal life cycle of drosophilid flies (Diptera) were studied on the southwestern slope of Mt. Higashi-Kagonoto in Tomi and at Ishi-no-yu in Shiga Heights, Nagano, central Japan. Collections of flies were carried out from early spring to late autumn using traps baited with fermenting banana. Based on the present results and previous faunal reports from central Japan, major native drosophilid species collected in this study were classified into migratory (5 species), high-altitude (6), mid-altitude (14) and low-altitude (14) species. The migratory species are assumed to perform extensive seasonal migration between low- and high-altitude areas. Among these native species, Drosophila alpina (a high-altitude species) and D. moriwakii (a mid-altitude species) are assumed to pass only one generation in a year, while the others pass two or more generations. Five of the six high-altitude species are assigned as the Palearctic elements, while four of the five migratory species and 12 of the 14 low-altitude species are assigned as the Sino-Japanese elements. The mid-altitude species consist of approximately equal numbers of the Palearctic and Sino-Japanese elements. Among the high-altitude species, D. alpina and Hirtodrosophila makinoi are also distributed in high-altitude areas in Hokkaido, northern Japan. The other high-altitude species and most of the mid-altitude species generally occur in low-altitude areas in Hokkaido or the further north. The Sino-Japanese elements occurring at high and mid altitudes in central Japan are also distributed at high altitudes in southern and southwestern China.